Rafaela expanding profile with power, discipline

If there is a solution to slowing down Ceddanne Rafaela, opposing pitchers have yet to discover it.

Following a torrid month of July in which the No. 2 Red Sox prospect sported a .337 average, Rafaela has homered in five consecutive games to begin the month of August.

He teed off for the 17th time this season across the top two levels of the Minors in Triple-A Worcester's 6-3 win in 10 innings over host Syracuse on Saturday at NBT Bank Stadium. The five consecutive outings with a roundtripper are the most in WooSox history.

“I'm very impressed with his performance here,” WooSox skipper Chad Tracy said on Thursday. “Not just as of late, but really since he's arrived from Portland. Even before the season started, we knew what he was capable of doing. He had some things to iron out in Double-A, which he did, and now he's here and he's been incredible for us ever since.”

In five games this month, Rafaela has compiled 21 total bases on six hits. Of the five homers he’s swatted out of the park, three were driven out to opposite field, highlighting the ability of MLB's No. 75 overall prospect to spray the ball to all sections of the field.

“Probably half of [his homers for us] have gone that way," Tracy said. "I know the first one he hit with us in Buffalo was to right-center. He’s hit two to right-center in this series. So he's got big-time juice to the opposite field.

“He's also had a few in Worcester where he showed that if you make a mistake, he can pull it a really long way. His little body packs a huge punch. So again, you can't say enough good things. He's talented and he's got power to all fields and he's shown that since he's been here.”

Though it is encouraging to see the 5-foot-9, 195-pound outfielder thriving at the plate, Rafaela has been equally as impressive as a defender and a baserunner, frequently using his elite speed to his advantage in those areas.

Projected to be the complete package at the big league level, Rafaela carries immense potential on both sides of the diamond, but former Major Leaguer Tracy believes defense may provide the 22-year-old's biggest value.

“It's hard to say,” he said. “Honestly, he could go to the big leagues tomorrow and play an elite-level center field. There's no doubt in my mind on that. That's how good he is as a defensive player; he glides around out there.

“And if he continues on the track he's on and really hones in on making good choices as a hitter, he's going to be able to impact the game in a big way on the offensive side too. So the sky's the limit for this kid.”

Speaking of Rafaela’s plate discipline, Tracy thinks the Curacao native's improvement in that area has been the biggest variable to his breakout season.

“To be honest, the most impressive part about him here recently is not really just the home runs," he said. "It's the decisions he's making in the batter's box, which has been a huge focal point for him this year. He is focused on swinging at strikes, understanding what he's looking for and what area of the strike zone he's looking for.

“He’s been really disciplined and is more willing to take a strike if he has to. So for me over the last few days, what he's choosing to swing at and what he's choosing not to swing at is even more important.”